a
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Gerry Adams
Political Leader / 1948 -
Gerry Adams is president of Sinn Féin, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army.
See full bio
(1948-)
Political Leader
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John Bodkin Adams
Serial Killer, Doctor / 1899 - 1983
John Bodkin Adams is best known for standing trial in the suspicious deaths of 163 former patients in England.
See full bio
(1899-1983)
Serial Killer, Doctor
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Dave Allen
Television Actor / 1936 - 2005
Dave Allen was an Irish comedian and TV actor who starred in his own shows in Australia and the UK: Tonight with Dave Allen and Dave Allen at Large.
See full bio
(1936-2005)
Television Actor
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Thomas Andrews
Architect, Engineer / 1873 - 1912
Thomas Andrews was the principle architect for the infamous RMS Titanic. He died in the sinking, on April 15, 1912.
See full bio
(1873-1912)
Architect, Engineer
b
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Samuel Beckett
Writer / 1906 - 1989
20th century Irish novelist, playwright and poet Samuel Beckett penned the play Waiting for Godot. In 1969, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
See full bio
(1906-1989)
Writer
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Brendan Behan
Journalist, Author, Playwright / 1923 - 1964
Bredan Behan was a rebellious Irish author of plays and short stories noted for his earthy satire and powerful political commentary.
See full bio
(1923-1964)
Journalist, Author, Playwright
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George Best
Soccer Player / 1946 - 2005
Athlete George Best played for Manchester United and was named European Footballer of the Year in 1968. His brief career ended by the time he was 25.
See full bio
(1946-2005)
Soccer Player
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Maeve Binchy
Journalist, Author / 1940 - 2012
Maeve Binchy was the author of various literary works, including 16 novels. Her most popular books include Light a Penny Candle, Echoes, Circle of Friends and Tara Road.
See full bio
(1940-2012)
Journalist, Author
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Bono
Singer / 1960 -
Bono is the frontman of the Irish rock band U2. He's also known for participating in global charity efforts.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1960-)
Singer
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Kenneth Branagh
Film Actor / 1960 -
Kenneth Branagh is an Irish-born English stage and motion-picture actor, director and writer who is best known for his film adaptations of Shakespearean plays.
See full bio
(1960-)
Film Actor
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Maeve Brennan
Journalist, Author / 1917 - 1993
Maeve Brennan was an Irish short story writer and journalist known for her wit, charm and tragic end.
See full bio
(1917-1993)
Journalist, Author
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Pierce Brosnan
Animal Rights Activist, Environmental Activist, Anti-War Activist, Film Actor, Television Actor, Producer / 1953 -
Irish actor Pierce Brosnan is best known for his recurring role as British spy James Bond in the popular James Bond film series.
See full bio
(1953-)
Animal Rights Activist, Environmental Activist, Anti-War Activist, Film Actor, Television Actor, Producer
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Christy Brown
Author, Poet / 1932 - 1981
Christy Brown was a writer with cerebral palsy who penned the autobiography My Left Foot, which was adapted into a film starring Daniel Day-Lewis.
See full bio
(1932-1981)
Author, Poet
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Jocelyn Bell Burnell
Astronomer / 1943 -
British astronomer Jocelyn Bell Burnell assisted in constructing a large radio telescope and discovered pulsars, cosmic sources of peculiar radio pulses.
See full bio
(1943-)
Astronomer
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John Butler Yeats
Painter / 1839 - 1922
Painter John Butler Yeats was the father of poet William Butler Yeats and artist Jack Butler Yeats. His portrait of John O'Leary is considered his best work.
See full bio
(1839-1922)
Painter
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Gabriel Byrne
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor / 1950 -
Actor and producer Gabriel Byrne was involved in many successful films, including Little Women, The Usual Suspects, Vanity Fair and Julie and Julia.
See full bio
(1950-)
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor
c
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Darren Clarke
Golfer / 1968 -
Darren Clarke is a professional golfer known for his eccentricity and for playing through adversity to great success.
See full bio
(1968-)
Golfer
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Adam Clayton
Bassist / 1960 -
Adam Clayton is a Grammy Award-winning bass guitarist for the politically active rock and roll band U2.
See full bio
(1960-)
Bassist
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Michael Collins
Activist, Military Leader, Political Leader / 1890 - 1922
Michael Collins was a hero of the Irish struggle for independence, who directed guerrilla warfare during the intensification of the Anglo-Irish War.
See full bio
(1890-1922)
Activist, Military Leader, Political Leader
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Cyril Cusack
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Playwright / 1910 - 1993
Cyril Cusack was an Irish actor with the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, Ireland and he appeared in over 90 films.
See full bio
(1910-1993)
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Playwright
d
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Eamon de Valera
World Leader / 1882 - 1975
Irish revolutionary Eamon de Valera (1882-1975) was the head of Sinn Féin, and the third president of an independent Ireland.
See full bio
(1882-1975)
World Leader
e
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Enya
Songwriter, Singer / 1961 -
Irish singer Enya performed with her family's band Clannad before making it big with her solo album Watermark in 1988.
See full bio
(1961-)
Songwriter, Singer
f
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Colin Farrell
Film Actor, Television Actor / 1976 -
Irish actor Colin Farrell's gained stardom with his part in the movie Tigerland, which lead to his leading roles in numerous films, including American Outlaws.
See full bio
(1976-)
Film Actor, Television Actor
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Michael Fassbender
Actor / 1977 -
Actor Michael Fassbender has starred in the films 300, Inglorious Basterds, Centurion, Dangerous Method, Prometheus and the comic-book-based X-men: First Class.
See full bio
(1977-)
Actor
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William Findley
Educator, U.S. Representative / 1741 - 1821
William Findley's long political career began after the Revolutionary War. He believed in limiting the power of government in order to protect people's rights.
See full bio
(1741-1821)
Educator, U.S. Representative
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Geraldine Fitzgerald
Film Actress, Theater Actress, Television Actress / 1913 - 2005
Actress Geraldine Fitzgerald became adept at playing nearly every kind of supporting role in her fifty year acting career.
See full bio
(1913-2005)
Film Actress, Theater Actress, Television Actress
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Brenda Fricker
Film Actress / 1945 -
Brenda Fricker won an Oscar for her work in My Left Foot, as the mother of a gifted boy inflicted with cerebral palsy.
See full bio
(1945-)
Film Actress
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Brian Friel
Author, Playwright / 1929 -
Brian Friel is an Irish dramatist and short-story writer notable for such plays as Translations and Dancing at Lughnasa.
See full bio
(1929-)
Author, Playwright
g
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James Galway
Musician / 1939 -
James Galway is an internationally renowned flutist who includes both classical and contemporary works in his repertoire.
See full bio
(1939-)
Musician
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Michael Gambon
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor / 1940 -
Irish actor Michael Gambon is best known for his role as Albus Dumbledore in five of the seven J.K. Rowling Harry Potter films. Prior to his role as Dumbledore, Gambon was known as one of the leading thespians of his generation.
See full bio
(1940-)
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor
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Bob Geldof
Activist, Songwriter, Singer, Philanthropist / 1951 -
Bob Geldof is best known as the singer of the band the Boomtown Rats and for his political activism, particularly anti-poverty efforts in Africa.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1951-)
Activist, Songwriter, Singer, Philanthropist
-
Brendan Gleeson
Film Actor / 1955 -
Brendan Gleeson is an Irish actor whose role as Mad-Eye Moody in the Harry Potter films has made him known around the world.
See full bio
(1955-)
Film Actor
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Oliver Goldsmith
Journalist, Author, Playwright, Poet / 1730 - 1774
Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith wrote essays, poems, novels and plays in the 1700s. Although considered an eccentric, readers found his characters relatable.
See full bio
(1730-1774)
Journalist, Author, Playwright, Poet
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Maud Gonne
Activist / 1866 - 1953
Maud Gonne was an Irish revolutionary, a romantic muse for William Butler Yeats, and mother to Nobel Peace Prize-winner, Sean MacBride.
See full bio
(1866-1953)
Activist
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Henry Grattan
Political Leader / 1746 - 1820
Henry Grattan was a statesman in the Irish House of Commons who opposed the Act of Union 1800 which merged the Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland.
See full bio
(1746-1820)
Political Leader
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Arthur Griffith
Political Leader / 1871 - 1922
Journalist Arthur Griffith was a founder of the Irish nationalist movement (Sinn Féin) and briefly served as President of the Irish Republic in 1922.
See full bio
(1871-1922)
Political Leader
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Benjamin Guinness
Business Leader, Philanthropist / 1798 - 1868
Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness was the grandson of Arthur Guinness, the founder of Guinness Brewery. Benjamin Guiness made the stout beer brand famous.
See full bio
(1798-1868)
Business Leader, Philanthropist
h
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Padraig Harrington
Golfer, Biologist / 1971 -
Golfer Padraig Harrington won two British Open championships and the 2008 Professional Golfers’ Association of America Championship.
See full bio
(1971-)
Golfer, Biologist
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Richard Harris
Film Actor, Theater Actor / 1930 - 2002
Irish actor Richard Harris is best known for his performances as King Arthur in Broadway's Camelot and Albus Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films.
See full bio
(1930-2002)
Film Actor, Theater Actor
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Seamus Heaney
Educator, Academic Author, Playwright, Poet / 1939 -
Seamus Henry is a renowned Irish poet and professor who won the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature.
See full bio
(1939-)
Educator, Academic Author, Playwright, Poet
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Ciaran Hinds
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor / 1953 -
On the big screen, actor Ciaran Hinds is best known for his work in period dramas. He made his debut as one of the medieval knights in 1981’s Excalibur.
See full bio
(1953-)
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor
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John Hume
Political Leader / 1937 -
John Hume was leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) in Northern Ireland. He and David Trimble were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace.
See full bio
(1937-)
Political Leader
j
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Mother Jones
Activist, Folk Hero / 1830 - 1930
Mary Harris Jones (aka "Mother Jones") was a union activist. She founded the Social Democratic Party, and helped establish the Industrial Workers of the World.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1830-1930)
Activist, Folk Hero
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James Joyce
Author / 1882 - 1941
James Joyce was an Irish, modernist writer who wrote in a ground-breaking style that was known both for its complexity and explicit content.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1882-1941)
Author
l
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Lady Gregory
Playwright, Poet / 1852 - 1932
Irish dramatist Lady Gregory, also known as Isabella Augusta, collaborated with William Butler Yeats and J.M. Synge to found the Irish National Theater and the Abbey Theater company.
See full bio
(1852-1932)
Playwright, Poet
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James Larkin
Activist, Folk Hero / 1874 - 1947
James Larkin was an Irish labor organizer and activist who founded the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union.
See full bio
(1874-1947)
Activist, Folk Hero
m
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Seán MacBride
Activist, Diplomat, Government Official / 1904 - 1988
Sean MacBride was an Irish politician and the former chief of staff of the IRA
See full bio
(1904-1988)
Activist, Diplomat, Government Official
-
Shane MacGowan
Singer / 1957 -
Shane McGowan is an Irish singer-songwriter who founded the folk-punk band the Pogues.
See full bio
(1957-)
Singer
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Tommy Makem
Guitarist, Singer / 1932 - 2007
Tommy Makem was an internationally celebrated Irish folk musician, poet and storyteller. He was best known as a member of the Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem.
See full bio
(1932-2007)
Guitarist, Singer
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Colum McCann
Author / 1965 -
Colum McCann is an Irish born writer best known for his works of fiction published as novels and short stories.
See full bio
(1965-)
Author
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John McCormack
Singer / 1884 - 1945
Irish tenor John McCormack made his Italian debut in 1906. After his London debut, an international operatic career ensued, especially in the United States.
See full bio
(1884-1945)
Singer
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Frank McCourt
Journalist / 1930 - 2009
Pulitzer Prize winning author Frank McCourt wrote the biography Angela’s Ashes after retiring from teaching for 30 years in New York City.
See full bio
(1930-2009)
Journalist
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Rory McIlroy
Golfer / 1989 -
Rory McIlroy is an Irish golfer best known for winning the 2011 U.S Open and the 2012 PGA Championship, becoming the youngest player to win a PGA Tour playoff.
See full bio
(1989-)
Golfer
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Colm Meaney
Actor / 1953 -
Colm Meaney is the Irish actor best known for his work in the film The Snapper and TV series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
See full bio
(1953-)
Actor
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Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Film Actor, Television Actor / 1977 -
During the 2000s, actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers continued to shine in a wide array of film genres. Notable films include 2001’s Prozac Nation with Christina Ricci.
See full bio
(1977-)
Film Actor, Television Actor
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Spike Milligan
Actor, Comedian, Radio Personality, Writer / 1918 - 2002
Spike Milligan was an Irish writer and comedian best known for his work on The Goon Show.
See full bio
(1918-2002)
Actor, Comedian, Radio Personality, Writer
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Brian Moore
Author / 1921 - 1999
Brian Moore is best known for his first novel, The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1955), about an aging, alcoholic spinster.
See full bio
(1921-1999)
Author
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Thomas Moore
Songwriter, Singer, Journalist, Poet / 1779 - 1852
Thomas Moore was an Irish poet, satirist, composer, singer and close friend of Lord Byron.
See full bio
(1779-1852)
Songwriter, Singer, Journalist, Poet
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Van Morrison
Songwriter, Singer / 1945 -
Van Morrison is an Irish singer/songwriter known for his inventiveness and originality as a solo artist.
See full bio
(1945-)
Songwriter, Singer
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Iris Murdoch
Philosopher, Literary Critic, Academic Author, Author / 1919 - 1999
Prolific novelist Iris Murdoch won a Booker Prize for The Sea, the Sea. In 2001, she was portrayed by Kate Winslet and Judy Dench in the biographical film Iris.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1919-1999)
Philosopher, Literary Critic, Academic Author, Author
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Cillian Murphy
Film Actor, Theater Actor / 1976 -
Cillian Murphy is an Irish movie actor known for the diversity of his roles in films ranging from Breakfast on Pluto to Batman Begins, and for his bright blue eyes.
See full bio
(1976-)
Film Actor, Theater Actor
n
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Liam Neeson
Film Actor / 1952 -
Liam Neeson is an Irish actor known for his strong leading-man roles and for his role as Qui-Gon Jinn in the three prequels to Star Wars.
See full bio
(1952-)
Film Actor
o
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Flann O'Brien
Writer / 1911 - 1966
Author Flann O’Brien’s most famous novel, At Swim-Two-Birds, combines folklore, poetry and humor. It was published in 1939.
See full bio
(1911-1966)
Writer
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Sean O'Casey
Activist, Journalist, Playwright / 1880 - 1964
Irish nationalist and playwright Sean O’Casey wrote about life in the slums of Dublin, in plays like The Shadow of a Gunman and The Plough and the Stars.
See full bio
(1880-1964)
Activist, Journalist, Playwright
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Daniel O'Connell
Lawyer, Political Leader / 1775 - 1847
Daniel O'Connell was a 19th century Irish political leader. He worked to repeal of the Act of Union which combined Ireland and Great Britain.
See full bio
(1775-1847)
Lawyer, Political Leader
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Joseph O'Connor
Journalist, Author / 1963 -
The brother of singer Sinéad O'Connor, writer Joseph O'Connor wrote the novel Cowboys and Indians, which was on the short list for the Whitbread Prize.
See full bio
(1963-)
Journalist, Author
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Sinead O'Connor
Activist, Songwriter, Singer / 1966 -
With her signature shaved head, Sinead O'Connor emerged with a powerful and expressive voice, complex songs, and a fair share of controversy.
See full bio
(1966-)
Activist, Songwriter, Singer
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Liam O'Flaherty
Author / 1896 - 1984
Liam O'Flaherty was a novelist and short story writer and a leading writer of the Irish literary renaissance.
See full bio
(1896-1984)
Author
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Maureen O'Hara
Film Actress, Pin-up, Singer / 1920 -
Maureen O'Hara was an Irish-born actress who was billed alongside Hollywood's leading men in a slew of swashbuckling features in the 1940s.
See full bio
(1920-)
Film Actress, Pin-up, Singer
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Milo O'Shea
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor / 1926 - 2013
Milo O'Shea was an Irish actor known for starring on the BBC sitcom Me Mammy and in Staircase, Broadway's first serious depiction of homosexual men.
See full bio
(1926-2013)
Film Actor, Theater Actor, Television Actor
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Maureen O'Sullivan
Film Actress / 1911 - 1998
Maureen O'Sullivan was an actress best known for playing Jane in the Tarzan film series opposite Johnny Weismuller.
See full bio
(1911-1998)
Film Actress
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Peter O'Toole
Anti-War Activist, Film Actor, Theater Actor / 1932 -
Irish born Peter O'Toole is one of Hollywood's most highly-honored actors. He is best known for playing T.E. Lawrence in Lawrence of Arabia.
See full bio
(1932-)
Anti-War Activist, Film Actor, Theater Actor
p
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Charles Stewart Parnell
Political Leader / 1846 - 1891
Charles Stewart Parnell founded of the Irish Parliamentary Party and was one of the most important figures in the 19th century.
See full bio
(1846-1891)
Political Leader
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William Paterson
Lawyer, Supreme Court Justice, U.S. Representative, U.S. Governor, Government Official / 1745 - 1806
William Paterson was an accomplished American statesman who served in Congress and on the Supreme Court and was governor of New Jersey.
See full bio
(1745-1806)
Lawyer, Supreme Court Justice, U.S. Representative, U.S. Governor, Government Official
r
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Stephen Rea
Film Actor / 1946 -
Irish actor Stephen Rea is well-known for his roles in V for Vendetta, Interview with the Vampire and The Crying Game.
See full bio
(1946-)
Film Actor
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Jamie Reid
Activist, Artist / 1947 -
British artist Jamie Reid designed artwork for the Sex Pistols album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, which includes the song "Anarchy in the U.K." His artistic style helped define the look of the English punk rock scene of the late 1970s.
See full bio
(1947-)
Activist, Artist
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Mary Robinson
Educator, Activist, Lawyer, Diplomat, World Leader / 1944 -
Mary Robinson served as president of Ireland (1990–97) and as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997–2002).
See full bio
(1944-)
Educator, Activist, Lawyer, Diplomat, World Leader
s
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Bobby Sands
Activist / 1954 - 1981
Bobby Sands was an Irish nationalist who led a hunger strike in prison in 1981. He was elected Member of Parliament during the strike and died May 5, 1981.
See full bio
(1954-1981)
Activist
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George Bernard Shaw
Author, Playwright / 1856 - 1950
Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw wrote more than 60 plays during his lifetime, which earned him a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1925.
See full bio
(1856-1950)
Author, Playwright
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Jim Sheridan
Director / 1949 -
Jim Sheridan is an Irish film director, well known for his films My Left Foot, In the Name of The Father, The Boxer, and Get Rich or Die Tryin'.
See full bio
(1949-)
Director
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Bram Stoker
Author / 1847 - 1912
Irish writer Bram Stoker is best known for authoring the classic horror novel Dracula (1897).
See full bio
| Watch video
(1847-1912)
Author
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Jonathan Swift
Writer / 1667 - 1745
Jonathan Swift was an Irish author and satirist. Best known for writing Gulliver's Travels, he was dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin.
See full bio
(1667-1745)
Writer
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John Millington Synge
Playwright / 1871 - 1909
John Millington Synge was a playwright and a leading figure of the Irish literary renaissance. He wrote Playboy of the Western World, drawing on everyday life.
See full bio
(1871-1909)
Playwright
t
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William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin of Largs
Physicist, Academic Author / 1824 - 1907
Lord Kelvin was an Irish physicist who developed a temperature scale based on absolute zero, named the Kelvin scale.
See full bio
(1824-1907)
Physicist, Academic Author
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Wolfe Tone
Military Leader, Political Leader / 1763 - 1798
Irish republican and rebel Wolfe Tone led a French military force to Ireland during the insurrection of 1798.
See full bio
(1763-1798)
Military Leader, Political Leader
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David Trimble
Political Leader / 1944 -
David Trimble served as first minister of the Northern Ireland Assembly, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, and a member of the British Parliament.
See full bio
(1944-)
Political Leader
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Ronan Tynan
Singer / 1960 -
Ronan Tynan is Irish classical singer, most famous for his renditions of "God Bless America" at the Yankee Stadium during important games.
See full bio
(1960-)
Singer
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Colm Tóibín
Journalist, Author / 1955 -
Irish author Colm Tóibín is famous for literary works about Irish society, creativity and homosexuality. His most popular novels include The Blackwater Lightship and The Master.
See full bio
(1955-)
Journalist, Author
w
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Oscar Wilde
Writer / 1854 - 1900
Author Oscar Wilde published several acclaimed works, including The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest.
See full bio
| Watch video
(1854-1900)
Writer
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Robert McLiam Wilson
Author / 1964 -
Irish novelist Robert McLiam Wilson is best known for his first and most acclaimed novel, Ripley Bogle, which he published at age 26.
See full bio
(1964-)
Author
y
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William Butler Yeats
Playwright, Poet / 1865 - 1939
William Butler Yeats was one of the greatest English-language poets of the 20th century and received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923.
See full bio
(1865-1939)
Playwright, Poet